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(No Model.)

M. G. PARMER.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET METAL BY ELEGTRO DEPOSITION.

No. 335,905. Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

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NITED rares PATEN rricnt MOSES G. FARMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET METAl. BY ELECTRO-DEPOSITION.

iSPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,905, datedFebruary 9, 1886.

Application filed June 13, 1885. Serial No. 168,637.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Mosns G. FARMER, a citizen of the'United States,residing in New York, in the county and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Forming Sheet Metalby Electro-Deposition, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an organization of apparatus for depositingcopper and other metals by electrolysis upon a continuous bandcathode,from which it may be removed when of sufficient thickness in sheets, andit is then rolled or otherwise treated for the purpose of giving it thedesired form and character.

The invention consists in organizing the apparatus in substantially thefollowing manner: A continuous sheet or belt of conductingmaterial-such, for instance, as brass-is employed for the cathode of anelectro-deposition plant. This extends over suitable rollers or drums,one or. more of which are driven by steam or other convenient force, andserve to carry the band in a horizontal direction through one or moredeposition-vats in succession. Preferably two of these vats areemployed. The positive pole of a battery or other suitable source ofelectricityis connected with a series of strips or plates of the metalto be deposited in each vat. These plates extend in proximity to thecathodeband as it is passing through the correspondingvat. The negativepole of the battery is connected with a series of conducting-rollers,against which the cathode presses as it is passing through the vat. Themetal is dissolved from the anode-plates, and taken up by theelectrolyte employed, and from that it is deposited upon the cathode.The cathode is passed, respect ively, through the vats, and each timereceives an additional deposit until the required thickness is attained.

It has been proposed to obtain thin metallic foils by depositing metalupon a suitable vehicle, and then dissolving off the vehicle, and it hasalso been proposed to galvanize wire by passing lengths of it throughdeposition-vatsand giving it a single coating; but these pro- I cessesand the apparatus employed therefor differ from that set forth herein.

In another application of even date herewith, Serial No. 168,638, thereis shown and (No model.)

and below the wires upon which the deposition is being made.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 showsin vertical section an arrangement of two vats, and Fig. 2 is a plan ofone of the vats.

Referring to the drawings, E represents any source of electricity-such,for instance, as a dynamo-electric generator; and A and A represent twoshallow vats in which the electro-deposition is to take place. Acrossthe vat A there extends a series of bars or plates, a, and likewise aseries, a, extends across the vat A. These plates are composed of themetal to be deposited, and constitute the anodes. The positive pole ofthe battery is connected with the series of conducting-rods a in the vatA by a conductor, 1, and with the series a in the vat A by the conductor2. A continuous belt or band, B, of conducting material-such, forinstance, as brass or copper--is designed to be passed in a horizontaldirection through the vats in proximity to the conducting-plates a. Oneside of this belt is preferably coated with a varnish or shellac ofnon-conducting material, while the other surface is exposed. The beltpasses over a drum, 0, which may be driven in the drection indi? catedby the arrow by any suitable force, and it also passes around suitableguiding rollers or wheels, 0 0. Suitable additional rollers, d d, areemployed at the respective ends of the vats, for causing the band to dipinto the electrolyte, which it is designed shall be contained in thevat. The electrolyte consists of any suitable solution of copper or theother metal, such as is ordinarily employed in electroplating. Inpassing through the vat A the band passes beneath the series of platesa, and its uncoated surface is thus presented to the plates. A series ofcontactrollers, 6, rest against the upper surface of the band in thisvat, and these rollers are connected by a conductor, 3, with thenegative pole of lot the generator E. Suitable supporting-rollers,

h, hold the band as it passes through the vat in contact with therollers e. The rollers e are preferably placed at points between andslightly belowtherespecti've anode-plates a, and they are located atsuch a sufficient distance therefrom that the greater portion of thecurrent from the generator will pass across from the anodes to the bandrather than to the rollers directly. The rollers are of conductingmaterial, and will necessarily become coated to some extent with adeposit of copper or other metal, and thus gradually their size will beincreased; but this deposit may be removed as often as is necessary. Theband cathode in passing over the rollers enters the vat A with itsexposed side beneath and its coated or insulated surface upon the upperside, and is held down by suitable guide-rollers, h, against thecontact-rollers e. These latter rollers support the band cathode, andare located upon a higher plane than the anode-plates a The anodes arebeneath the band in this vat.

The connection of the band cathode with the negative pole of the batteryis preferably made, as described, through the rollers'in the vat, sothat the resistance will be as small as possible; but the connectionmight of course be made with the band outside the vats.

V The vats may with convenience be constructed about twenty feet'inlength and two feet in width and, say, six inches in depth, and the bandis moved over them continuously, receiving each time it passes'throughthe vats a slightadditional deposit. After a sufficient treatment themetal is stripped from the band in a continuous sheet in length equal tothe length of the band. It is then rolled out or otherwise treated-asmay be required.

Iclaimas my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbeforeset forth, with a source of electricity, of an endless-band cathode, anelectrolyticvat, means for causing said cathode to pass, a portion at atime, through the vat in a horizontal direction, a series ofanode-plates located upon one side of the band and connected with thepositive pole of the generator, and contactrollers resting against thesurface of the oathode presented to the anode-plates and connccted withthe remaining pole of the battery.

v 2. Thecombination, substantially as hereinb'efore set forth, with acontinuous band cathode, of one or more electro-deposition vats, meansfor passing said band cathode, a portion at a time, continuously throughsaid vat or vats in a horizontal direction, and means for depositingmetal upon said cathode during its passage, substantially as described.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with asource of electricity and a constantly-advancing cathode consisting of acontinuous belt of flexible conducting metal, of one or moredeposition-vats, a series of contact-rollers in each vat connected withone pole of said generator, and resting against said band, and causingthe same to pass continuously through the vat a portion at a time, and aseries of anode-plates extending across said vat or vats and connectedwith the other pole of said generator.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with acathode consisting of an endless band of conducting material having oneside coated with a non-conducting material, of one or moreelectro-deposition vats, means for passing said band, a portion at atime, horizontally through said vats, a source of electricity, means forconnecting one pole of said source with said band, and a series ofanodes placed in each vatand connected with the other pole of saidsource of electricity.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with twodeposition-vats and a series of anodes in each vat, of a bandcathodecoated upon one side with a non-conducting material, and means forpassing said cathode through said vats above the anodes in one vat andbelow'the anodes in the other vat, and with its conducting-surfacetoward the anodes in each vat, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3d day ofJune, A. D.

MOSES G. FARMER. Witnesses:

.DANL. W. EDGECOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY.

